Journal box lid



G. B. DOREY' JOURNAL BOX LID Sept. 11, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Sept. 1, 1938 Sept. 11, 1951 G. B. DOREY JOURNAL BOX LID 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Sept. 1, 1938 G. B. DOREY JOURNAL BOX LID Sept. 11, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Sept. 1, 1958 VENTOR Patented Sept. 11,1951

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE 227,949, September 1, 1938.

This application April 26, 1949, Serial No. 89,781

My invention relates to an improved journal box lid of the type used in railway cars and the like and is a substitute for my abandened patent aggplication Serial No. 227,949 filed September 1,

An object of my invention is to provide a pivoted lid for a journal box for railway cars and the like which will interlock with the journal box adjacent the swinging edge of said lid.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a lid having an interlocking action between the lower end of the lid and the associated journal box and for the operation of said lid through the medium of a toggle leverage action.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a journal box lid which will be pivotally mounted on an operating lever and interlock with the edge of the opening remote from the pivot connecting the lever with the box and to provide means whereby the lid will be mounted on the lever in such a manner as to provide for pivotal and limited sliding movement in relation to said lever.

Another further object of my invention is to provide a two piece lid assembly having a lever pivoted to a journal box and a lid pivotally associated with the lever and to provide for the opertion of said lid through the movement of the lever.

My improvements also relate to an improved method of tensioning the operating spring of a spring pressed pivotally mounted lid whereby said lid may be mounted on the box with the spring in completely released and non-tensed position and whereby the spring may be tensioned after the lid is in place on the box.

My invention further resides in certain other improvements and details of parts such as will be more particularly pointed out and claimed.

For full comprehension of my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a journal box and lid assembly showing a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken through the journal box lid assembly and on a line corresponding substantially to a line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 3 except that it shows the lid in partially -opened position and with the interlocking ar- 7 Claims. (Cl. 308-47) rangement at the bottom of the lid in released position.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken through the lever and on a line corresponding substantially to a line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a frontal elevational view of a journal box and lid assembly showing a modified embodiment of my invention.

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 6.

Referring first to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, there is shown a journal box It and a lid assembly pivotally mounted thereon. Said lid assembly includes alid proper A and a lever B, the latter being pivoted to the journal box by means of a rivet C and the lid and lever being pivotally associated through the medium of pivot D; a torsion spring E encircles the pivot D and a lid actuating torsion spring F is provided for urging the lid assembly to closed position or maintaining said assembly either in closed or open position.

The journal box It consists of a hollow box member having a fiat roof portion H, side walls l2l2 and a lower wall l3, the edge portion of said respective walls co-operating to form the face M of the box opening. The face i l of the opening slopes downwardly at a steep angle and the bottom wall, as is customary, is extended downwardly to continue the box cavity well below the margin of the opening. The wall I3 is of arcuate shape and the interior surface thereof l5 meets with the upper edge of the face 14 to present a cam shaped lip at the edge of wall l3.

At the upper part of the opening, rising upwardly from the roof portion is the hinge lug [6, said lug is apertured at I! to receive hinge pivot l1 whereby the lid assembly is mounted on the journal box. 7 V

The lug I6 is provided with angularly disposed faces I8, [9 and 20, arranged for co-opcrating engagement with the resilient element F for maintaining the lid in closed position or in different stages of open position.

The lid A includes a body portion 2! which is adapted to register with the lid contacting surface M of the box and the marginal edges of the body portion is reinforced by a continuous downward turned marginal edge 22. Adjacent the upper part of the lid, the body portion is provided with a depressed pocket 23 and extending outwardly from the pocket are two bearings 24, each having an elongatedaperture 25 for-the reception of the pivot D. Each said aperture is formed at its outer end concentrically with respect to the axis of the pivot D and forms a seat in which the pivot D is received and the sides of the aperture diverge slightly outwardly from each other towards the pocket 23 to provide a slightly tapered opening.

The lower end of the link extends downwardly beyond the opening of the box and on the inner side of the lid there is provided a lug or wall 26 which extends at an acute angle to the main body portion of the lid and is braced relatively thereto by a gusset 2?. The wall 25, in combination with the body portion of the lid, forms a forked structure, which when the lid is in closed position straddles the upper end of wall |3 of the box and the wall 26 interlocks with the curved surface |5 of the box to maintain the lid in closed position as will hereinafter be fully pointed out.

Centrally disposed between the pair of bearings 24-24 there is disposed a raised projection 28 having an inclined bearing face 29 on which the pivot D bears for maintaining the lid in its closed position.

The lever B includes an upper housing portion 30, an intermediate body portion 3| and a lower portion 32 in the form of a handle which may be grasped for operating the lid. The upper housing portion includes side walls 33-33 which are disposed on the respective sides of the lug and are each provided with ear 34 for the reception of pivot C. The lower portion of the housing is formed with a concave spring seat 35 in which the spring F seats. The intermediate portion 3| of the lever is of narrower width than the upper housing portion and is formed of substantially channel shape construction including a flat plate section 36 and spaced side walls 3'|-31, said walls 3'! lie outwardly of the bearing portions 24 and are apertured at 38 for the reception of rivet 39 whereby the member D is secured in position on the lever, said side walls 31 extend in the depressed portion 23 of the lid.

The operating handle portion 32 which is preferably of circular sha e is spaced outwardly from the lid proper a suflicient distance to afford clearance for a convenient handhold.

The pivot D preferably consists of a hollow pipe having an outer curved surface 39a which engages the inclined face 29 of the lid. Said pipe is of a length to fit between the side walls 3'|3| and when the rivet 39 is headed the pipe is virtually an integral part of the lever.

Encircling the pivot D is the torsion spring E having a looped central portion 4!] bearing against wall 36 of the lever and the respective ends of the spring are brought down in the form of tail ends 4| to bear against the lid proper. Said spring is maintained under torsion between the lid and lever and in its opening movement serves to rotate the lid proper relatively to the lever B in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings to the position indicated in Fig. 4. With the lid and lever flexed to the position indicated in Fig. 4, the distance between the pivot C and the extreme lower margin of locking wall 26 is so shortened as to enable the locking wall to swing in an are 42 which clears the lower margin of the box opening.

The spring F, which is formed of spring wire, includes a pair of coiled portions 43 |3 and a head 44 formed as a loop extending upwardly between said coils. The head is provided with an antifriction roller 45 and the respective ends 4 of the spring are extended downwardly in the opposite direction from the head to present tail ends 46-46 disposed at the opposite ends of the coil portions.

The spring F, when in operative relation, is disposed with the coil portions 43 seating in the curved seat 35 of the lever B. When the spring is in tensed relation the roller 45 engages the lug l6 and the tail end portions 45 extend downwardly through apertures 41 formed in the lower wall of the concave seat 35 and engage with abutments formed on the lever B as indicated at 4B. The said abutments 43 are in effect the end portions of slotted apertures 49 formed in lateral flanges 50 lying at each side of the lever B.

The respective tail ends of the spring F in the released or non-tensed position of the spring lie rearwardly of lateral flanges 50, assuming the position indicated by conventional dot and dash lines at 5| in Fig. 4. In order to impart tension to the spring, the tail ends are moved in a coil winding direction over the side edges 52 of the flanges 50 and snap into engagement with the abutments. The lateral displacement of the tail ends is facilitated through contact of the edge portions 52 as said outer edges act in the nature of deflectors by reason of the fact that the flanges have their maximum width adjacent the apertures 49 and slope towards the pivot D in ever decreasing width and finally merge in the side walls 33. The wedge shaped flanges thus act as deflectors to facilitate the sideways movement of the spring ends and due to the fact that the tail ends are considerably longer than the head portion, the tensing of the spring is easily carried out.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 4 that the initial opening movement of the lid involves a separation of the upper end of the lid proper from the lid contacting surface of the box and in order to prevent the entrance of foreign matter in the space so exposed there are provided hood portions 53, which overlie the upper part of the lid. Said hoods which are disposed on opposite sides of the lever B and preferably -formed integrally therewith each include a wall 54 overlying the upper part of the body of the lid and a curved wall 55 extending concentrically with respect to the pivot D adjacent the upper swinging edge of the lid proper. The said walls 54 and 55 are united at each end of the lid by means of end walls 56.

With the parts in position, as shown in Fig. 4, the lid proper by reason of the tension in spring E, pivots in the concentric end of the tapered apertures 25 around the axis of the pivot D. With the parts so positioned, the lid may close and open freely without interference between the lower edge of wall 26 and the edge of wall l3 of the journal box. Inasmuch as the pressure exerted by spring F is considerably in excess to that required to overcome the tension of the lighter spring E and also due to the fact that the pressure of spring F is communicated to the lid through a leverage action, it is evident that on further movement in a lid closing direction from the position in Fig. 4, there is a straightening of the toggle arms of the knee joint as composed by the upper part of the lever B and the lower part of the lid A.

The straightening effect of the knee joint causes the lower portion of the lid to have an interlocking movement with the curved surface |5 adjaen the lo r edg of the box open thereby causing the lid to have pivoted imovement about for irregularities in manufacture that the slotted aperture is provided. In-the eventofexcessive looseness in the pivots the surface 39a slides down along the surface '29 of the lid until such time as the lid is forced tightly into engagement with the lower margincof the box opening as well illustrated in Fig.3.

The interengagement-cf surfaces 39a and 29 operates to'urge the lid in :a closing direction and also to impart a lengthwise thrust to the lid forcing the same along the face M of the opening and into tight wedging engagement with the Wedging cam surface l5 of the box. The wedging interlocking engagement at the lower end of the opening has the effect offorcing the lid .snugly against the face M of the box-opening, such relative sliding movement between the leverand lid being rendered possible by the slotted connection between the lever and lid.

It will be appreciated that the loose connection provided 'by the slotted aperture 25, thus allows for sliding movement of the lid to compensate for irregularities and wear and always assures that the lid will be forced into tight wedging engagement with the lower cam shaped marginal edge of the opening. The-pressure of the spring F is communicated to the lid in a lid closing direction at a location between the center of the box opening and .the axial mounting of the lever on the journal box. The fact that the knee joint is efiected at an appreciable distance above the center of the lid provides for considerable movement of the lower part of the lid without a corresponding distance at the upper edge of the lid and permits the use of comparatively small parts in the carrying out of my improved structure.

The offsetting of the lid pivot furthermore permits balancing the weight of the lid in such :a manner, that the lid opens to assume a substantially horizontal position, the weight of the lower end of the lid being available to assist the spring E to maintain thev lever and lid in a state of fiexure.

To open the lid, the operator grasps the handle and an outward pull of the same serves to initiate the folding movement of the'knee joint, and the spring E automatically continues the folding movement until such time as the upper part of the lid contacts the walls 54 of the lever and thereafter the lower interlocking action is inoperative until such time as the lower part of the lid contacts the lower edge of the opening as the lid is urged towards closing direction.

In the structure shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the parts are modified from that previously described for the purpose of including an antifriction roller for transmitting strain from the lever to the lid.

In said Figs. 6 and 7, H0 indicates the journal box, III the lid proper, H2 the lid lever, H3 the pivoted connection on which the lever is mounted, N4 the pivotal connection between the lever and lid, 1 IS the torsion spring between the lever and lid and I IS the lid actuating spring.

The journal box is provided with a lower wall H1 having a curved interior surface H8 and cooperable therewith is the inclined flange I I9 formed on the inner face of the lid to present'a forked lower end portion for the lid.

The .lidis provided with apair of bearings which receive pivot I I4 in slotted apertures l2! and permit a limited degree'of sliding movement of the lid relatively to the lever. Intermediate the bearings the lid is provided with an inclined surface 22 and oo-operable with said surface is a roller i123 pivotally mounted on'pin 1-! 4. The operation is similar to that already described in connection with the modification 'shownin Figs. 1-'5 .inclusive except that the roller overcomes the frictional resistance incidental to the sliding action between the lever and inclined .surface-asithe forked end of the lid is forced into :tight awedging engagement with the wedged shaped lowerportion of the opening.

While -I have showed preferred embodiments of :my invention, the same are only by way of illustration and I-claim all modifications coming within the scope -'of the claims appended hereto.

'What I claim is:

1. -In a journal box having an opening, a 'lid assembly for the opening including a lever pivzoted to the box adjacentan'edge of the opening ;and:a lid proper having a forked swinging'edge for interlocking with the edge of the opening opposite to the pivotal axis 'of the lever; said lid and lever being pivotally united at a location intermediate the pivotal axis of the lever and the "forkedend of the :lid to present a knee joint structure, said lever being extended beyond the axis of the .knee .joint .pivot to form an operating handle for the operation of the lid through a turning movement of the lever, said lid being arranged to have a fulcruming movement around its forked end in moving in and out of interlocking engagement with the edge of the box.

2. In a journal box having an opening including top, side and bottom walls and a hinge lug adjacent the top of the opening; a two piece lid assembly for the opening, said assembly including a lever pivoted to the lug and a lid pivoted to the lever, :said lid being loosely mounted on the lever to have :both rectilinear and curvilinear motion with respect to the lever; interlocking means between the lid and the bottom wall of the opening, said interlocking means including a forked lower end on the lid, said forked end when the lid is in closed position straddling the bottom wall of the opening; and co-operating means on the lever and lid for forcing the lid towards closed position and also forcing the forked end ofthe lid into tight wedging engagement with the bottom wall of the opening, said curvilinear motion being elfected by a knuckli'ng action at the pivotal joint between the lid and lever and of sufficient extent as to bring the forked end of the lid away from the bottom wall of the opening and allow said forked end to swing free of the bottom wall and clear the latter in its swinging movement to and from closed position.

3. In a journal box having an opening defined by the edge portions of top, side and bottom walls, said top wall having a hinge lug adjacent the top of the opening; a two piece lid assembly for the opening, said assembly including a lever pivoted to the lug and a lid pivoted to the lever, said lid being loosely mounted for lengthwise and pivotal movement with respect to the lever; interlocking means between the lid and the bottom wall of the opening, said interlocking means including a forked lower end on the lid, said forked end when the lid is in closed position straddling the bottom wall of the opening; and co-operating means on the lever and lid for forcing the lid towards closed position'and also forcing the forked end of the lid into tight wedging engagement with the bottom wall of the opening, said co-operating means including co-engaging surfaces on the lever and lid respectively, said surface on the lever being of arcuate shape and said surface on the lid being inclined relatively to the body of the lid to present a wedge acting surface. 7

4. In a journal box having an opening defined by top, side and bottom walls; a lug adjacent the top of the opening; a lid assembly for closing the opening, said assembly including a lever and a lid proper carried by the lever; a pivot uniting the lever and lid to permit limited swinging movement of the lid about said pivot; said lid adjacent its end opposite to the pivotal axis of the lever having a forked end arranged to interlock with the bottom wall of the opening to retain the lid assembly in closed position, said lid being movable into and out of said interlocking relation by flexure of the lid relatively to the lever; and a torsion spring encircling the pivot joining the lid and lever, said spring having arms resiliently engaging the lid and lever for maintaining the said lid and lever in a given state of flexure.

5. In'a journal box having top, side and bottom walls defining an opening, said bottom wall having an interior surface of convex shape presenting a wedge acting surface; a lug adjacent the top of the opening; a lid assembly for the opening, said assembly including a lever pivoted to the lug and a lid proper pivoted to the lever, said lid being loosely mounted on the lever to provide both bodily and pivotal movement with respect to said lever, said respective members constituting the toggle members of a knee joint; said lid having a forked structure at the end of the lid remote from the pivotal axis of the lever, said forked structure straddling the bottom Wall of the box to engage the convex surface of the bottom wall to retain the lid in closed position, said forked lower end being movable into straddling position by flexing the members of the knee joint; resilient means interposed between the lid and lever for maintaining said lid and lever in a state of flexure; co-operating wedging surfaces on the lid and lever for inducing sliding movement of the lid along the face of the opening and also for urging the lid to closed position; and other resilient means for maintaining the lid and lever in a state of fiexure.

6. In a lid assembly for a journal box having an opening and a lug adjacent one edge of the opening, said assembly including a lever hinged to the lug and a lid proper hingedly mounted on the lever, said lid being loosely mounted on the lever to permit limited lengthwise movement and pivotal movement with respect to the lever, said respective lid and lever members constituting the toggle members of a knee joint structure; a keeper associated with the inner face of the lid proper adjacent the edge of the lid remote from the hinge lug, said keeper including a wall lying at an acute angle to the body of the lid to form in combination therewith a V shaped forked structure, said forked structure when the lid is in closed position straddling a wall of the box to interlock therewith; means for forcing the forked structure into tight wedging relation with the associated wall of the journal box, said means including an arcuate surface on the lever and a co-operating inclined surface on the lid whereby pressure of the arcuate surface of the lever on the inclined surface operates to move the lid in a closing direction and along the face of the opening away from the hinge lug; and a spring interposed between the lug and the lever for forcing the latter in a'lid closing direction.

7. In a lid assembly for a journal box having a four sided opening, said sides of the box opening having a lid contacting face; a hinge lug adjacent a side of the opening; said assembly including a lever pivoted to the lug and a lid proper pivoted to the lever, said pivot uniting the lever and lid being located intermediatethe ends of the lid, said lid adjacent the end remote from the pivotal axis having on the inner side thereof a wall lying at an acute angle to the inner face of the door to present a V-shaped forked structure, said forked structure when the lid is in closed position being disposed in straddling relation with respect to the lower marginal edge of the opening to interlock therewith and on opening movement of the lid having pivotal movement about said interlocking portion with the opposite end of the lid moving away from the lid contacting surface of the box opening; and a hood carried by the lever overlying the outwardly movable swinging edge of the lid to prevent entrance of foreign matter between the outwardly spaced portion of the lid and the face of the box.

GEORGE B. DOREY.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS McCormick May 30, 1944 

